When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸縮的) arm will drop from the autoand make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Onceattached to the rail,the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of thevehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car’smovements.

　　The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. Thecomputer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correctexit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鳴器) thatwill warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able tohandle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carriedby a present-day highway.

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be ________.

　　A. its power source

　　B. its driving system

　　C. its monitoring system

　　D. its seating capacity

　　2. What is the author’s main concern?

　　A. How to render automobiles pollution-free.

　　B. How to make smaller and safer automobiles.

　　C. How to solve the problem of traffic jams.

　　D. How to develop an automated subway system.

　　3. What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system?

　　A. A rail.

　　B. An engine.

　　C. A retractable arm.

　　D. A computer controller.

　　4. In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is ________.

　　A. keep in the right lane

　　B. wait to arrive at his destination

　　C. keep in constant touch with the computer center

　　D. inform the system of his destination by phone

　　5. What is the author’s attitude toward the future of autos?

　　A. Enthusiastic.

　　B. Pessimistic.

　　C. Optimistic.

　　D. Cautious.

　　1.[A] 推斷題。從第2段首句可以看出第2段主要講未來汽車的變化方向。該段第2 、3句說它將變得更小巧、安全、節能，給它提供動力的將不再是汽油發動機。而第3段也著重展望了未來汽車動力系統的新模式，故未來汽車一個最重要的改進就在于它的能量來源，故答案為A。

　　2.[C] 事實細節題。第3段首句提到，未來的汽車仍將是令城市交通擁擠的主要問題而這也是作者最為關心的問題，C之相符。其他各項在文章中都提到過，但并非the main problem，故排除。

　　3.[A] 事實細節題。文章第4段第1、2句提到，當汽車進入高速公路系統后,一只自動伸縮臂就會從車上伸下來，搭上一根鐵軌，這根鐵軌類似于為地鐵列車提供電能的那些鐵軌，一旦汽車連接到rail上，它就可以從中獲得電能。因此A正確。

　　4.[D] 事實細節題。最后一段首句提到，司機將通過電話發出指令，把目的地輸入系統。由此可見，司機可以使用電話來告知系統他的目的地，故選D。A、B、C在文中沒有提及。

　　5.[C] 推斷題。根據第2段和最后一段(特別是最后一句)不難看出作者對于汽車發展的前景持樂觀態度，故選C。